Will you Remember Me?
by Pissed off Canadian
Summary: Mario and Luigi are on another one of their usual adventures because the princess was kidnapped once again by Bowser. Their adventure takes an unexpected turn when they meet someone who they haven't seen in a long time, only to find out that he is completely different from when they last remember seeing him.
1. Section 1

**Author's note time!**

***Finally updated the notes since there was some invalid information on them.***

**Hello, readers! I'm Pissed Off Canadian! You probably haven't ever heard of me, but that's because I've never uploaded anything to this website. This is the first story that I have ever uploaded, but it is not the first that I have ever written. I pretty much wrote this so that I can get used to the publishing process of this site before I upload anything larger onto it. Don't think that this story was only a test, however. I think that it turned out quite decent, but that will vary depending on the reader. **I looked back at it after three months, and I can safely say that my writing has improved noticeably.

**I pretty much wrote this mostly because I had an idea for a one-shot that I liked, so I thought that I might as well use it to test out this site. **

**This story is rated T because something slightly sad and tragic happens at the end. There are also some suggestive jokes, but you need to understand them to pick them out. If I read it 4 years ago, then I would have no idea what they meant. **

**Before this note turns into a chapter, I'll end it. Might as well get all the legal crap out of the way: Iggy, Mario, Luigi, on any other Nintendo characters mentioned belong to Nintendo. **

**So, might as well get started.**

**By the way, the chapters are only there to separate the writing into smaller sections so that it's not all one large document. Hence the name, 'Section X'.**

* * *

><p>Mario and Luigi were out of the castle once again – saving the princess once again, since she had been taken in by Bowser once again. The brothers knew that they would be fighting yet another one of the Koopalings, just like in the last five worlds that they conquered. Each of the worlds had one of the Koopalings in it, so Mario and Luigi had to rid each of the worlds from them. The infamous brothers were in the middle of the swamp which was filled with toxic water, and they had no idea which one of the Koopalings they would have to fight there. They had already taken down Larry Koopa, Roy Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, and Wendy O. Koopa – each one of King Bowser's dastardly minions. Each one of them put up a respectable fight in each of their towers and castles, though neither of the four Koopalings were of any match for Mario and Luigi.<p>

Mario and Luigi entered the fifth tower in their journey, knowing that they would have to deal with yet another one of those Koopalings. They didn't know which one it would be, but they were both feeling up for it. After all, it was Mario and Luigi's top priority to get Peach Back by the end of the day. Immediately, once inside the tower, Mario and Luigi were greeted by many usual obstacles that they had seen inside of the other Koopalings' towers and castles. The usual moving walls and stones were in there, with the exception of the way Mario and Luigi worked their way through the tower – this one was vertical, and took lots of jumping for them to get to the top – exhausting both of them once they were up there.

"Looks like this is it," huffed Mario, as he and Luigi made it to the large red doors at the top of the tower. On the other side of these large red doors would be another one of the Koopalings – another one which Mario and Luigi would most likely have no problem defeating.

"We going in right now?" Luigi questioned his brother. He didn't exactly want to go in there right away, since he, too, was slightly out of breath from climbing the tall tower which they were in.

"I guess so," replied Mario, with the idea that it would be best for him and Luigi to go in there as quickly as possible so that they could just get the battle over with.

Luigi nodded at his brother, also not minding the idea of going into the room to fight one of the Koopalings right away. He knew that they wouldn't have issues with them unless the Koopaling inside had actually thought up of something useful.

Mario then placed his hand on the door, anxiously awaiting whatever was inside of the chamber that they were both about to enter. He then pushed it open, revealing a small corridor which he knew he and Luigi would have to walk down so that they could get to the scene of the battle. Mario poked his head through the door, and saw the usual – a dark, small, dingy long hallway which he and Luigi had to walk down.

"I guess there's nothing to lose at this point," suggested Mario. Both he and Luigi knew that they had to get the princess back by the end of the day, so the first thing that they had to do would be to walk down that hallway, and show their enemy what they were made of.

Mario and Luigi then entered the dingy hallway, not really knowing whether or not to expect what was coming for them at the end of it. The hallway was unusually quiet; though usual, since none of the previous Koopalings made their presence felt until Mario and Luigi made it into their rooms. The brothers both walked down the hallway slowly so that they could get an idea of who they were about to deal with.

"We already took down four of those nasty Koopas," whispered Mario as he and Luigi made their way down the dimly-lit hallway. It had been a while since Mario and Luigi had fought with the Koopalings; they had no idea about what kind of land each one of them liked to take over there in the Mushroom Kingdom. It was bothering Mario that he didn't know, since he and Luigi had known all seven of the Koopalings for quite some time. At least both of the brothers knew how many Koopas they would have to fight while on their journey.

"Let's just focus on getting rid of these Koopas so that we can get out of here," Luigi silently suggested. As far as sound went in the tower, there was nothing coming out of the end of it. Silence was all that could be heard, so that must've meant that someone was at the end of the hall, just waiting to get their claws on Mario and Luigi. Apparently not, as the two brothers would find out soon enough.

Mario then nodded at his brother in agreement to what he just said. He knew that the best thing for him and Luigi to do in the tower would be to get rid of the enemy so that they could reclaim the land. Another task at hand was to get the princess back from the grasps of Bowser – something they would be worrying about once they made it to his castle at the end of their quest.

Luigi cleared his throat suddenly, and then whispered to Mario, "Let's also focus on getting rid of these Koopas so that we can get the princess back."

"That's the right way to think," said Mario. He wanted it to be clear that they were out there to get Princess Peach back from Bowser.

Mario and Luigi were nearing the end of the small hallway – walking closer to what could possibly be their fate. This could be it – neither Mario nor Luigi may make it out of this tower alive. They both saw the large, torch-lit room at the end of the hallway, and knew that that was the place where they would be taking care of another one of Bowser's minions. Both of the brothers cautiously walked down to the room at the end of the hall, since they knew that they would be in immediate danger from one of the Koopalings.

"Just keep an eye open for any surprises," suggested Mario once he and Luigi were almost at the end of the hall.

"Alright then," whispered Luigi. He was certain that once he and Mario were inside of that room, that there would be something in there that was bound to scare them half to death.

To the brothers' surprise, there was nothing inside of the dimly-lit cavernous room that they had just stepped into. When they entered the rooms of the other Koopalings, they would be waiting right at the end, waiting for Mario and Luigi to enter so that they could fight. This time, however, there seemed to be no one else inside of the room.

"Think there's anyone in here?" questioned Mario.

"Seems like there's only one way to find out," replied Luigi.

Mario and Luigi then both slowly crept into the large hall, and felt that they were the only ones in there. The brothers both looked around for a moment, waiting for their eyes to adjust to the light. After a moment, both of the brothers saw something close to the middle of the hall – three medium-sized beanbags, one of which was occupied. Neither Mario nor Luigi recognized who was sitting there; the darkness of the room had something to do with that, and also the fact that they didn't immediately recognize who was in there. They both observed the eerie silhouette of the figure sitting in the farthermost of the beanbags – a tall stalk of hair, and the figure seemed to be somewhat taller than the rest of the Koopalings that the brothers fought in the other worlds. Both Mario and Luigi remembered that most of the Koopalings were quite different from the last time Mario and Luigi saw them, so it came to no surprise that at least one of them would be unrecognizable.

The brothers stood there at the side of the large room, waiting for the figure in the middle of it to make movements. Nothing happened over there, however, leaving both Mario and Luigi confused as to why there was no one in there to battle them as there was in the last four castles. A break of fighting Koopas for a little while would be something, however.

"Should we move in?" Mario then asked his brother, since they were seemingly safe in the tower.

"I guess that's the only thing left to do at this point," replied Luigi.

Both of the brothers were anxious about advancing farther into the room, since in the past, many of the Koopalings were quite unpredictable. Best thing for them to do around the enemy would be to play it safe. After all, they were dealing with getting their beloved princess back from the evil King Koopa. Despite the hard feelings, Mario and Luigi pressed on into the chamber at the top of the tower, waiting to enter battle with one of the Koopalings.

It took a moment for the brothers, but their eyes did adjust to the dim light with some time. They were able to see that the room was somewhat large, and also quite boring to look at. There were vines climbing the stone walls, but nothing else inside the room. This place seemed like a likely place for one of the Koopalings to be in, except for the fact that Mario and Luigi weren't being attacked while they were just standing there at the entrance of the hall.

Something in the middle of the room moved, startling both Mario and Luigi. At that point, the brothers knew that their presence was known, and that they would most likely be fighting another one of the Koopalings in just a moment. Whoever was sitting on one of the beanbags in the middle of the tower was looking right at Mario and Luigi; staring them down, since they were not supposed to be in there. Weary and confused, Mario and Luigi started walking cautiously walking towards the middle of the room, since they were anxious about finding out who was in there with them.

Mario and Luigi just stood there at the edge of the room for the longest time – they had no idea whether the Koopa at the center of the room was going to attack them or not.

Mario then slowly whispered to Luigi, "Don't make any sudden movements."

Luigi slowly nodded at Mario, agreeing that they should be as slow as possible in there so that they didn't startle the Koopa – who finally seemed to notice that Mario and Luigi were in there.

"Get ready to fight," whispered Luigi, as he and his brother watched on as the Koopa in the middle of the room got off of the beanbag which he was sitting on, and then slowly start walking towards Mario and Luigi. He didn't seem to be making any threatening gestures, but that could've meant anything when it came to Bowser's minions. The Koopa slowly walked towards Mario and Luigi, but could barely be seen because of the room's darkness casting over him. The brothers held their ground as they watched the somewhat tall Koopa approach them. Neither Mario nor Luigi knew for sure if they were in any immediate danger or not, so keeping still was the best they could do in a potentially bad situation.

After a few moments of just standing there and watching an enemy come closer to them, Mario and Luigi were able to see the Koopa's face. He had walked into the light of the hallway, and was now almost right in front of Mario and Luigi. Strangely enough, the Koopa still hadn't made any threatening gestures or movements, much unlike the rest of the Koopalings that Mario and Luigi had fought while out on their journey. Presumably another one of the Koopalings, he was a little taller than Luigi; he had an interestingly-shaped lime-green stalk of hair on the top of his head; he had glasses resting on his snout, and four fangs sticking out of his mouth. He was now quite close to Mario and Luigi, as they were able to see the entire figure. He was innocently looking at the brothers with an expression that could almost be considered sincere, but looks can be deceiving.

Mario glanced over at Luigi for a moment, taking his attention away from the enemy. Luigi had the same puzzled look on his face that Mario had, as he, too, was staring intently at the strange Koopa. Mario then looked back over at the Koopa, and saw that he had stopped a couple meters away from the brothers. Mario and Luigi both stared at the Koopa, and tried to put a name on him. There was something familiar about him, but neither Mario nor Luigi could place a finger on it. His face was just slightly familiar, but only just. Neither of the brothers had ever seen such a skinny and tall Koopa in their lives, yet something about this one seemed all too familiar to the brothers. Both brothers watched as the Koopa just stood there and stared at them.

Tension was building around them. Mario and Luigi both didn't know if they were going to be attacked or not, or if anything was going to happen around them. They intently stared at the Koopa in front of them, waiting for something – anything – to happen. Mario and Luigi both watched over the Koopa. Moments later, he finally made a movement – the enemy slowly raised his hand up as if he was about to do something. He then held his hand up to his side, and then slowly waved at Mario and Luigi.

The brothers were confused as to why the Koopa waved at them – he seemed to be quite friendly, which definitely didn't seem right. None of the Koopalings had ever done anything nice to Mario and Luigi in the past, so there was no reason for them to change that now.

The Koopa then stepped a little closer to the brothers, but he looked to be taking his time as to not startle Mario or Luigi.

Mario decided that since he and his brother weren't being attacked, that he might as well wave back to the Koopa. He did, and then stepped slightly closer without saying another word. Mario looked over to his left, and saw that Luigi had also stepped forward. They both stood there and stared down the Koopa seeing that no threats were being made from either of them. It was now a matter of who makes the first move. All three of them then stood in their places, frozen and waiting for someone to do something.

After all three of them were standing there in silence for what felt like the longest time, the odd-looking Koopa had finally said something. He sounded quite nervous to Mario and Luigi – he quietly said to the brothers, "Hey." He the waved at them another time, somewhat expecting them to do something to him.

Mario heard what the nervous Koopa said to him and Luigi, so he asked the Koopa, "Who are you?"

"You know me," the Koopa quietly replied, this time stepping slightly closer to Mario and Luigi.

The tall Koopa was now standing right in front of Mario and Luigi – they were able to see his features. Mario examined the face of the Koopa – his glasses, fangs, and even his hair. None of this was recognizable for the plumbers, yet there was something about the Koopa that brought something to the back of Mario's mind. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about the Koopa in front of him that forced him to think a little. "I don't think I've ever seen you," said Mario, ignoring all thoughts racing at the back of his mind. He then asked, "Who are you? Aren't you supposed to be fighting us or something?"

"Fighting?" the Koopa questioned with a false look of shock in his face. "I don't really want to do that," he then said to Mario. "Come with me," he said, looking at the two brothers.

Mario then looked over at Luigi, and then shrugged. Nothing was happening to them up until that point, so there was presumably no harm done in going to where the Koopa wanted them to go to. They then both followed the tall Koopa to the middle of the room where the three beanbags had been placed for some reason. The three beanbags were quite large, and arranged in a circular pattern with a small table in the middle of them. There were a few cans of soda sitting on the small octagonal table, one of which was immediately picked up by the Koopa. He then told the brothers, "Have a seat," pointing at the other two beanbags.

Both Mario and Luigi stared at each other for a moment, not knowing whether they were about to be attacked or not. The Koopa had done nothing to them for the entire time that they were in the tower, so they decided that it must've been at least a little safer in there than they were in any of the towers that the other Koopalings had taken over. Both of the brothers then nervously sat down in the beanbags that the Koopa directed them to. All three of the bags were quite soft, and all three of them were a dark yellow with orange stars adorning the exterior of them.

The Koopa saw that Mario and Luigi were quite nervous, so he reassuringly told them, "I'm not going to do anything to you guys. You don't have to worry about anything in here."

"Easy for you to say," replied Mario. It was nice for the brothers to see that they hadn't been attacked, but nothing could rid them of the thought that they were possibly potential victims of another one of Bowser's dirty deeds. "Just tell us who you are," he then demanded, wanting to know the name of the Koopa.

"We've met before," he replied. He then giggled, and told Mario and Luigi, "I'll see how long it takes for you guys to find this one out."

Upon further examination, Luigi thought that he had possibly come up with a name for the Koopa. He seemed to like really cheap humor, and he had large round glasses sitting right on the middle of his face. The hair was unfamiliar, but the rest of the Koopa was one that he and Mario definitely had seen in the past. Luigi then leaned over to Mario, who was sitting in the beanbag adjacent to him, and then whispered, "Iggy."

"That's the one!" exclaimed Mario, listening to his brother's input. "You're that weird kid with glasses, and you had the same hair as your little brother at one point."

"Whatever," replied Iggy Koopa, once he heard that Mario got his name correct. "I just want to talk for a minute," he the said to Mario, diverting the subject away from his name, and into getting the brothers comfortable while they were in the castle with the Koopaling. He had a trick that he wanted to pull off on them, but that could wait. Iggy thought that he might as well make the most of them being in there with him by finding out some information about his long-time enemies.


	2. Section 2

"What is there to talk about?" Mario asked, easing up as he saw the saddened expression on Iggy's face. Iggy looked to be sad for some reason; most likely because he had something that he wanted to talk about. Mario thought that he might as well help Iggy out if he needed it, because then he could possibly use the Koopaling against Bowser in the future.

"I just want to say a couple things," continued Iggy. He then looked down at the ground in front of him as if something was bothering him. In the back of his mind, he really needed someone to talk to. In reality, however, he needed to get the job done that he was sent out to do out there in the Mushroom Kingdom. He then said to the brothers, "I don't really feel like fighting anyone right now. There's just no point in doing something that I know I'm going to lose." Iggy then picked up two of the cans of soda that were sitting on the small table, and then handed one of them to Mario, and another one to Luigi. He thought that giving them something to drink would help the brothers feel a bit safer around the Koopaling.

Mario and Luigi both stared at the cans of soda in Iggy's hands for a moment, unsure if they were untouched or not.

"I didn't do anything to them," said Iggy as he saw that Mario and Luigi weren't taking the cans out of his hand.

Mario and Luigi both shrugged at the same time in response. Iggy hadn't done anything to the brothers up until this point, so the soda in his hands must've been fine to drink. On top of that, the Koopaling had been drinking one of them, and there would be no reason for him to do something to himself. Mario and Luigi then both reached over, and each took one of the cans out of Iggy's hands. It was Chukola Cola, one of their favorites. Might as well have some while they were in the tower talking to one of the Koopalings. Both of the brothers then sat back down in the beanbags, and cracked open their cans of pop. Both of the cans made the familiar sound that a freshly opened soda makes, which meant that the cans were still sealed. They both then nodded at the Koopaling.

Iggy saw that the two brothers were more at ease once he gave them something to drink, so he decided that he might as well get right down to business. He then looked away from Mario and Luigi, and focused on the small table which was separating him and the brothers. Iggy never really liked to make eye-contact with anyone, and this was showing through. He then said to the brothers, "I kind of don't like working for Bowser."

"I don't blame you," replied Mario. He saw that Iggy was trying to not make eye-contact with anyone in the room, se he decided that the Koopa was just shy. He wouldn't say anything about it, however, since he thought that he might as well listen to what the Koopaling had to say. He then asked the shy Koopa, "Why is it that you don't like working for that nasty king?"

Iggy replied, "I get put into the basement if I don't do something, or if I don't do something the way that he wants." Iggy then looked down at the can of soda in his hands, and continued, "I just want to be able to do what I want to for once."

For the first time ever, Mario felt sympathy for one of the Koopalings. He thought that it was sad that Iggy was never able to do anything that he wanted to because of the way Bowser treated him. Mario remembered that the basement in Peach's castle wasn't the best place to be, and the one in Bowser's castle would certainly be much worse. Luigi felt the same as his brother, as he knew that being trapped in a dungeon most of the time would be one of the worst things that one could go through. Both of the brothers then sat there, sipping on the delicious sweetness of the Chuckola Cola.

Iggy wondered as to why the brothers seemed to be concerned for him. Never in the past had these particular enemies have done anything good to him. The Koopaling almost wanted to ignore Bowser's orders for once. He knew that he wouldn't be allowed to do that, however, so he would just have to follow through with his plan.

"Just see if he will ease up a bit," suggested Mario. He thought that Iggy might have a better time back at home if Bowser were to let him, so the only thing that the plumber could really do was to make suggestions to the Koopaling. Other than that, there really was nothing that Mario could do for Iggy, and he really didn't care either. If he was able to help Iggy out, then great. If there was nothing that he could do to help the Koopaling out, then whatever. After all, it was really up to Iggy to make his own decisions.

"I don't think he will," replied Iggy. He never thought that Bowser would ever ease up on him and his siblings, so there was really no point in suggesting anything to the king.

"He might," Mario then said. He didn't really take any time into thinking why he even bothered trying to help Iggy in the first place. If he and Luigi defeated the Koopaling the moment that they made it into his room at the top of the tower, that they would be well on their way at this point. Oh well – he and Luigi were in there, so they might as well make the most of their time being alone with Iggy. Maybe if they were to befriend him, then they would be able to get him to help them out in the future. Having connections everywhere was not necessarily a bad thing.

Iggy gave his head a shake across the small table from Mario and Luigi. He was still convinced that Bowser would not ease up on him and the rest of the Koopalings, so there really was still no point in him asking the king. Iggy knew that he would just be disregarded as usual if he were to suggest something to Bowser that could make his life a little easier, so he might as well not even try. Besides – he had something else planned out for the tower which he and the Mario Brothers were inside of. Just thinking about what he would do made him creepily grin. He then told Mario, with a grin still on his face, "I can try that later... I have something that I want to do now."

Mario and Luigi both looked at each other – the creepy-looking Koopaling across from them was grinning at them, and he seemed to be thinking of something just by the way that he was looking at the wall behind the brothers.

Iggy watched as the brothers looked at each other in fear. Both of them then took a sip out of their soda cans at the same time, and looked back at Iggy. The last thing that the Koopaling wanted to do would be to provoke them into attacking him, so he said to the brothers, "We should just sit here for a while, yes... That's what I want to do."

Mario and Luigi both looked back at Iggy, and there seemed to be less tension around them. The Koopaling looked away from them so that they would not suspect anything. Iggy then felt around his can of soda, and felt the button. He thought that he could press it right then and there; get everything over with right then and there, or he could wait, and just hang out with Mario and Luigi for a little more. They seemed to be fine to be around, so he decided that he might as well do just that. He might be able to get some information about the kingdom if he was able to get them to talk a little more. Iggy then looked back at the brothers, and took a deep breath. The Koopaling had to keep his composure if everything were to work out. He complimented the brothers by saying to them, "You guys seem nice enough to be in here for a little while." Iggy did indeed think that they were not half bad, but he also absolutely did not want to be sent to the dungeon the moment he made it back home.

Mario sighed. He knew that he and his brother would be best off back on their journey in getting the princess back, but it was also nice of Iggy for letting them stay in the tower with him without attacking or anything. He looked over at Luigi, and shrugged. "We should get going soon," he said, looking at Iggy, "But I guess being here for a little while won't hurt. We've also had no rest since we left, so we might as well."

Iggy smiled at the brothers. Finally they would be in there with him, and they might even be fine to hang out with for a while. As long as they stayed in that spot, then everything would work out just fine. He then told them, "As long as no one knows that I let you in here, then everything will be alright."

"Sure thing," replied Mario. He felt more at ease with the Koopaling now that they had been sitting together for a couple minutes without problems. Luigi, however, had mixed feelings about this. He thought that something was up, since none of the Koopalings had been the most trustworthy in the past. The taller one of the plumbers then decided that it would de best for him to keep an eye on Iggy just in case the Koopa tried doing something to them. With the help of Mario, they would be able to pin the Koopaling down in a moment and make sure that he was of no threat. "I'll make sure not to tell the princess about this," said Mario, reassuring Iggy.

Bowser certainly would not like be happy if he were to find out that one of the Koopalings hung out with Mario and Luigi without doing anything to them. Likewise, Peach would not be happy with Mario and Luigi if she were to find out that they didn't attack one of the Koopalings on sight.

Iggy laughed at the fact that Mario mentioned this. This was all part of his plan, so there really was nothing for him to worry about if he kept Mario and Luigi around for some time. He smiled, and said to Mario, "I don't think she will care that much if you guys are in here for a little while."

"Why do you say that?" Luigi asked, finally saying something to the Koopaling.

Iggy remembered the first time that he saw Peach: she had been kidnapped as always, but Bowser didn't mind the princess wandering around the castle as long as she didn't mess anything up in there. Iggy was small back then, but he had a good memory on him – the Koopaling remembered walking up to Peach for the first time, and remembering that she offered to hold him for a while. No one really offered such a thing to Iggy for various reasons, but she did. Other than Lemmy, Peach was among the first to actually be interested in Iggy. Just thinking about this brought a tear to his eye. He then remembered the first time that he was sent out to fight the evil plumbers, that he missed Peach. This was a long time ago, but it was also one of the few memories that stuck with Iggy, and it also happened to be one of the sweetest. Iggy closed his eyes, and cherished one of the best memories that the princess brought him. He never really got the chance to see her again once he was always sent out to fight Mario and Luigi. He would always be sent out of the castle with the rest of the Koopalings, and they weren't allowed to do anything else while out there.

Mario saw that a couple of tears run out from the bottom of Iggy's glasses as he held his eyes closed for some time. He gently asked the Koopaling, "What's wrong?"

Iggy shook his head – He sniffled, and then explained, "She was really nice to me in the past. I missed her for a while because I was never allowed to see her after I was sent out to fight you guys. I guess I just kind of didn't see her again since then." He closed his eyes again, and just sat there for a moment.

Neither Mario nor Luigi had any idea on how to console the Koopaling, so they just awkwardly sat there, waiting for Iggy to bring himself together.

Iggy just sat there for a moment, thinking about his time in the past with the princess. He then thought that he would be able to see her more often if his plan was to work out. He then gripped his can of soda a little more tightly, ready to use it. There was something about the one in his hand that was a little different than the ones that Mario and Luigi had with them. The Koopaling then opened his eyes once again, and looked back at the brothers. He saw that both of them were looking around the room elsewhere from where Iggy was sitting. He then said to them, "I wish I could see her again, but I don't think she is the same as she was back then for some reason."

Mario knew that the time that Iggy was talking about happened some time ago, and the princess could very well be different from the first time that she met the Koopalings. He then told Iggy, "She might be different since then, but she might also be nice to you if you were able to prove to her that you're worth something."

Iggy thought about this for a moment. If he were to execute the plan now, then he wouldn't ever have the chance of seeing Peach happy once again. If he were to hold off for the time being, then the tall Koopaling might be able to strike up a conversation with the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. He then brought his claw away from the small bump on the side of his can as he was having second thoughts. He felt that he might as well wait some more time before pulling anything off. The Koopaling then wiped the tears off his face with his hand, took a deep breath, and then said back to Mario, "If she lets me see her." Iggy was not sure if the princess would ever want to see him again, especially after everything that she had been through ever since Iggy was sent out to battle with Mario and Luigi.

"That's kind of true," said Mario. He thought that Peach might not mind seeing the Koopaling as long as he was nice to her, but there was a chance that one of Bowser's minions would be the last that she would ever want to see. "If you want me to, I can talk to her once I get her back to the castle. There's a chance that she might let you come over to her castle so that you can see her for a while."

Iggy considered Mario's words. If he were to make it back to the castle with Peach, then he would be able to see if she would let Iggy go over there for a while. Maybe he would also be able to take Lemmy over there as well. That would, at the very least, give those two Koopalings something to do. He then thought that Bowser might not let him and Lemmy go there, since that was in the enemy's territory. One of the last things that Bowser would want to do would be to have his own minions befriending the enemy who he very much wanted the land from. He then thought that he ran the risk of being thrown into the dungeon the moment he got back if he did not comply, so that idea was quickly scrapped. He was then caught in this debate with himself about whether or not he should follow through with the plan or not. He would save himself from the dungeon if he did, but then he would run the risk of never seeing Peach again – happy. If he wanted to talk to her in the future like what Mario just offered, then he would have to leave the setup alone for later. He thought that he might as well hold off for the time being, and give himself a little more room to think.

Luigi noticed that Iggy seemed to be 'off' in the sense that he was blankly staring at the wall behind the brothers, and because he was fidgeting with the can in his hand – feeling around it as if there was something strange about it. Luigi then looked down at the can that Iggy had given him earlier, and examined it for a moment. There was nothing strange about it – it was just another can of Chuckola Cola that was the same as the ones that he had back at home in the refrigerator. Luigi thought that he might as well ask the weird Koopaling what was up. He looked up at the nervous-looking Iggy, and asked, "Anything wrong?"

Iggy looked up at Luigi, denying the fact that there really was something wrong by shaking his head. Last thing he wanted to happen would be to have the brothers know what was in store for them, so he explained to the tallest of the pair, "Nothing... Maybe a bit too much of this stuff." Iggy then held up the can so that Luigi could see it. He felt the nub on the side with his claw, making sure that it was out of sight of the brothers. He then smiled at them, hoping that he would be able to convince them that he wasn't thinking about anything unusual.

Mario and Luigi both nodded at the Koopaling at the same time. He spoke with a level of sincerity that was questionable, but more than anything that the brothers have seen in the past from any of the Koopalings.

"Then limit yourself," said Mario. He shouldn't have been one to talk, since junk food was among the few things that he ate back home at Peach's castle.

Luigi looked over at his brother, and then reached over, elbowing him in the side. He then said to Mario, "Like you should be mentioning that."

Iggy laughed, as he was fully able to understand the joke. This was most likely one of the first and last times that one of the Mario Brothers would make him laugh. He then smiled, and asked Mario, "Who does that?"

"I don't know," replied Mario. He then thought that Iggy was not half bad, and thought that he might be fine if that particular Koopaling was to go to the castle with him once he and Luigi got the princess back.

Iggy giggled at this. Never in his life did he ever thing that either Mario or Luigi would make him laugh. He had them there to use something that he had built the other night, but he was still debating whether or not he should follow through with it. If he did, then he would feel just fine afterwards. If he did not, then he still would be just fine. Iggy knew that it was up to him, but he didn't think that he would be able to make up his mind soon enough. This was up to him now, and he knew that he had to make up his mind before Mario and Luigi decided to leave the tower. Iggy looked down at the soda can in his hand once again, and began fiddling with it; feeling the little nub on the side. The little nub that happened to be the most important part of his plan.

All three of them then sat there around the small table in a moment of silence. Mario and Luigi were both feeling more at ease with the Koopaling since he had done nothing to them ever since they arrived at the top of his tower. In fact, both of the brothers were beginning to like the Koopaling; he seemed fun to be around – he was almost entertaining to them.

Iggy thought that Mario and Luigi were alright to be around, but he still had second thoughts about this. He wouldn't mind spending more time with them, but he certainly did mind spending time in the dungeon when he got back home to the castle. In the end, he knew that he had to put his plan to work so that he could make the king happy. After all, Iggy was the one who put it all together. The Koopaling then fiddled with the small button on the can, thinking to himself whether or not he should press it. There was a point in doing so, but that would cut his time short with Mario and Luigi. He pondered the thought for more time; he would need more to come to the final conclusion.

Mario thought that he might as well break the somewhat awkward silence that was in the air – he asked Iggy, "What do you like to do in your spare time?" The main reason that he asked such a question was to see if he could get that particular Koopaling to do something better with his time instead of dedicate it to working with the most evil Koopa in the world.

Iggy did many things on his spare time – playing around with his siblings, experimenting with various different things, building things, being lazy, you name it. He was quite social with the rest of his family, and most of them liked him for that. He thought that he might as well tell Mario and Luigi only what he did most of the time – invent things and experimenting with stuff. He said, "I like to make really cool things... Like, invent stuff."

"I wish I was able to make something that doesn't break each time," said Mario.

"Like you and Peach," teased Luigi.

Iggy snickered, and Luigi smiled. Mario, however, had a red face at this point. It was disappointing to see that his brother was joking about him, especially with one of their worst enemies. He knew that he would have to get his brother back for that whenever the next chance to do so turned up. "Whatever," he then said, trying his best to hide his humiliation around Iggy.

"Well, I guess he does use a lot of duct tape if he has to fix something," said Luigi.

"Just like you and Daisy," remarked Mario, looking over at his brother. He was able to see that Luigi understood what he meant – his face went red, and he slowly shook his head. Mario got his brother back, that's for sure.

Iggy was having a good laugh at the way the brothers were making fun of each other. He didn't know too much about them, and they haven't made fun of him yet. The Koopaling thought that he might as well have a go at a joke like that if he were to get the chance. That is, if the brothers were to stay there for much longer. "Let's not talk about that kind of interesting stuff," the Koopaling suggested. He thought that he would rather tell them about the kinds of things he liked to make back at home. He would even demonstrate something to them that he built into the tower. After that one, however, he was uncertain whether or not he would be able to show them anything else. He then told Mario and Luigi, "I make mechanical things at home, by the way. I'm really good at it, and it's lots of fun."

"That sounds almost interesting," said Mario. He really didn't care about mechanics, but it was something useful to know about. He and Luigi would do lots of plumbing, as Peach's caste was in need of that quite a bit. He then told Iggy, "Luigi and I do some plumbing. I guess that's the closest that we'll ever get to mechanics."

Iggy laughed. "I guess, and that's nothing like it," he then said to the brothers. The Koopaling then looked down at the can of soda in his hands, and was still thinking about pressing the button on the side. If that were the case, then the deed would be done. He would have nothing to worry about, and he would make the king happy while he was at it. The tall Koopaling decided that he might as well just wait a little more time. Doing that would also give him a little more time with Mario and Luigi, allowing him to possibly get some information about them.

"Close enough," Mario then said. He was beginning to almost like Iggy, and thought that he might want the Koopaling to visit sometime after he and Luigi got the princess back. Peach might also like him if he were to act the same as he was now. If both of them got along sometime in the past, then there was no reason for them to be able to do the same thing in the present. There really was nothing else for all three of them to talk about, so Mario thought that he might as well bring Peach back into the conversation. If Iggy were to be sure that he would be able to see her sometime in the future, then that might get the Koopa farther on the plumbers' good side. This might be able to help them in the future because they would possibly be able to manipulate Iggy a bit more. Mario then asked Iggy, "How does Peach treat you guys now?" He was asking about all the Koopalings, since there was no doubt that there would be a situation where she was with them.

"We don't really see her that much," replied Iggy. "During the times that I have seen her, I'm usually doing something that Bowser wanted me to do. She's kicking and screaming and everything."

"Sounds like you and her," said Luigi, elbowing his red brother in the side.

"Maybe you should try talking to her one of these times," added Mario, completely ignoring what his brother had to say. Luigi's unfunny jokes were almost getting to Mario, but he would not dare show it, especially in front of Iggy.

"I guess I can," said Iggy. Making contact with Peach might give him something to do on his spare time. That is, if he wasn't thrown into the dungeon as soon as he made it back home. In order to be fine when he made it there, the Koopaling knew that he had to initiate the plan that he made up the night before. He decided that he might as well get everything over with, so he felt the little nub on the side of the can that he was still holding. He felt around, hoping that he would feel fine about doing this to Mario and Luigi. They proved to be someone who he could talk to, but most good things had to come to an end eventually. Iggy didn't really want to do it, but something in the back of his mind reassured him that everything would be alright after this.

Mario noticed that Iggy was sweating and shaking slightly as if there was something bothering him. Mario then asked the Koopaling, "You alright?"


	3. Section 3

"Yeah... Fine... I'm good," replied Iggy, stuttering. In reality, he was not fine. He had someone there to talk to, and he knew that they had to come to an end. He thought for a moment, and remembered that Mario and Luigi would be leaving sooner or later. He could not let them escape in such a way, so the only thing that the Koopaling had left to do was to make sure that he initiated the plan before Mario and Luigi thought of leaving. "I can show you guys something that I built," he then told the plumbers, smiling somewhat creepily.

Mario looked at Luigi, who shrugged at him. He thought that he might as well watch whatever Iggy was going to show them, since it might be a while until they were to see that Koopaling once again. Both of the brothers seemed to ignore the fact that Iggy grinned at them. There might have been something up with the Koopaling, but they didn't really care. After all, Iggy seemed like one who would stay up all night doing something of his own while high on copious amounts of caffeine.

Luigi looked across at Iggy, and then said to the Koopa, "Let's see this. It might be interesting."

"It will be interesting," replied Iggy, again creepily grinning at the brothers. He moved his sharp claw up and down the side of the aluminum can, and felt that the little nub was still there. He would have to press it, and then everything would be over. Bowser would be happy, and that was pretty much the only thing that mattered at that point. Someone wasn't walking out of this tower, and Iggy was the one who would decide that.

This time, Mario caught the creepy smile that Iggy was giving him and his brother. The last thing that they wanted to do was to fall victim to one of the Koopalings, so the shortest of the pair leaned into where his brother was sitting, and then whispered, "Something's up with this guy."

"Just watch him," replied Mario with a whisper. If they were to keep an eye on the strange Koopaling, then everything would probably turn out fine. Iggy had been defeated by them in the past, but that was quite some time ago. In the present, Iggy was quite a bit taller and most likely stronger. Back then, when Mario and Luigi first met this strange Koopaling, he was not really tall, and he was also quite shy and weak. Mario could remember Iggy's sad little face as he was about to win the fight, but the plumber knew that he only had one goal at the time. Now that Iggy was talking to them, he seemed to be more at ease with the brothers.

Both of the plumbers stopped thinking about the past, and put their full attention back at the Koopa who was sitting across from them. He was grinning, but at the same time avoiding contact with the plumbers. There was definitely something up with him, but there really was no use in trying to find out what it was because he most likely wouldn't give them a straight answer. Both of them then carefully watched over the Koopa, making sure that he didn't do anything stupid. He was fine up until that point, which proved that Iggy might have not been half bad inside.

Iggy felt that the brothers were watching him, since they were. They seemed to be making sure that he did nothing to them, and in a sense, they weren't going to see him do anything. Iggy smiled at them as innocently as he could, since he might as well comfort them during their last moments. As soon as he did what was planned for them, he wouldn't have to see them ever again. Iggy knew that this was the only real way to avoid the dungeon, and that was the last place that he ever wanted to be. The Koopaling would rather die than to go in there for another couple weeks.

A really awkward silence filled the air as Iggy stared at both Mario and Luigi with his little creepy smile. The Koopa himself wasn't creeping out the brothers, it was just the fact that he was staring at them and running his claw up and down the soda can that was in his hands. There might have been something about it, but neither Mario nor Luigi had any idea about what was going on. They both continued watching the Koopa, thinking that something was going to happen to them.

"What's so special about that can?" Mario asked, hoping that Iggy might give them a real answer.

Iggy stared back at the brothers, and grinned at them. After a moment, he told them, "There's nothing special about the can..." Iggy lowered his head while continuing to stare at the brothers. He continued, "It's what I built into it."

"What is it?" Mario asked. He hoped that whatever Iggy put on the inside of that can wasn't harmful, because that would be the perfect way to end his time with that Koopaling.

"It's something that I built," replied Iggy. The Koopa felt the little button on the side of the can once again. All he needed to do to determine the fate of Mario and Luigi would be to press the button. He would never have to see them again, but that wasn't really what he wanted. Sure, that was the only way to not get thrown into the dungeon, but he was thinking that Mario and Luigi were actually not half bad to be around. They might be able to help him out in the future, and both of them seemed willing to do so. Iggy had to choose between two options at this point – to still be able to talk to Mario and Luigi but get thrown into the dungeon for an unspecified amount of time, or to never see them again, but be greatly praised when he got back to Bowser's castle. "Just watch what this thing does," said Iggy, holding up the soda can. While thinking, he thought that he might as well choose the latter so that he would have the easiest time when he got back home. His brothers and sister would be there to see him, and they would like him just that much more. Bowser would be something else – Iggy would go see the king first and foremost, because the news that he was about to go home with would make the evil Koopa king so happy, that he would have no idea how to contain himself.

"Let's see this," said Mario. He was completely unaware about what he was about to see, since he suspected that Iggy would be showing them something interesting. He then watched as Iggy held the can closer to his face, and his thumb seemed to be feeling something on the other side of the aluminum.

Iggy had the go-ahead. Mario wanted to see what he made, so the Koopa thought that it would be best to accept the request of the plumber. He felt around the side of the can momentarily, and felt the small button on the side of the can. The trigger – the one that he would use to put an end to it all. Iggy had total control of everything now, and he wished for that to remain. "This is what this innocent little can does," he then said, looking at Mario and Luigi with his head pitched forward and smiling at them. He placed his sharp claw on the small button, and began to press it down. There was a small distance of play in the switch before the actuation point, so he rested the button over that. Any further, and the invention would be activated. "Here it is," he then said, struggling to contain his own twisted laughter. He placed a little more pressure on the small switch – just enough to break it past the actuation point. Iggy heard the small "tick" sound that the switch made, and that assured him that the device had been activated.

Mario and Luigi both watched in disappointment as nothing happened around them or with the soda can. They were expecting something to happen the moment that Iggy said that something would happen, but it seemed like nothing was going to happen around them.

"What is it supposed to be?" Mario questioned.

"Just give it a second," said Iggy, smiling at the brothers sitting across from him. Iggy never thought of testing anything out after installing it into the tower, since that would have ruined the floor of the tower. He tested everything as he built it, and it worked. Iggy was sure that something would happen momentarily. "Remember – good things come with time," he then told Mario and Luigi. He then smiled at the brothers in hopes of making them stay longer – just enough so that they would be there while the invention activated.

Mario and Luigi both sat there on the beanbags for another few moments, hoping that something would happen soon. They were both oblivious to the fact that Iggy might be planning to do something to them. Mario leaned back, and Luigi leaned forward. Both of the brothers were growing impatient because of the lack of anything going on in there, but they decided to stay there a bit longer so that they would be there to see the end result. After another moment, it seemed that their waiting paid off. Right in front of the beanbags that Mario and Luigi were sitting on, the floor of the tower shifted. Some of the bricks down there cracked, while others came out of place. Something was pushing up on them from below; something was going to come out of there.

After about three seconds, a large, thick piece of glass started pushing through the floor – right in front of Mario and Luigi. Their toes were probably able to touch it if they were to reach out a couple decimeters. Both Mario and Luigi watched the large piece of glass come out of the ground – it was circular, as if it was supposed to be some sort of large cylinder. Mario then noticed that Iggy was staring at him and Luigi with the widest grin ever right across his face. He was watching that his invention was working, and nothing pleased him more than that. Unfortunately for him, something about it wasn't working as planned – he was the one being surrounded in the glass as it was erected from the floor of the tower.

"Let's back off!" Mario shouted at Luigi. This may not be the only thing that was going to happen in that tower. They ran the possibility that something else was planned for them.

Mario and Luigi jumped off of the beanbags, and watched as the large glass tube grew higher and higher in the air. Iggy was now manically laughing behind the glass, but for what? He was the one trapped in there, and there really would be no reason for him to place himself inside of a glass tube with Mario and Luigi on the other side of it.

"What's he doing?" Luigi asked his brother.

"No idea," replied Mario. "Let's go get his attention," he then said.

Luigi nodded at his brother, who was already walking towards the large glass tube that was sticking out of the floor. Upon walking up to the thick glass barrier, the brothers were able to see that the Koopaling noticed that he was not supposed to be in there. Mario and Luigi watched as Iggy frantically ran around the tube with an extremely shocked expression on his face. They were able to see that something didn't go as planned for him, since he had a real look of disappointment in his eyes; a look of fear indicated that something horrible was about to happen to him.

"Looks like he was thinking about something," said Mario. He was standing at the edge of the glass right next to Luigi, and both of them were watching what was going on with the frantic Koopaling who was behind the glass.

"Looks like he doesn't like what is going to happen to him," said Luigi. Neither he nor Mario had any idea about what was going to happen to Iggy, but the look on his face indicated that it was nothing good.

The brothers watched over the inside of the glass tube that was sticking out of the ground. They watched as the frantic Koopaling inside was running around it, presumably panicked, and wanted out of there instantly. The top of the glass tube was already almost at the roof of the tower, and it wasn't moving any higher. It was likely at the top of its travel, and hopefully nothing else happened once it got there. Iggy looked up inside of the glass, and observed the ceiling. He looked to be slightly relieved as he saw that nothing else was going on.

"Why is he staring at the roof?" Mario asked. The Koopaling was staring at the roof above him, and he had been ever since the glass had reached the end of its travel. There must've been something about it, possibly because there was a gap between the roof and the top of the glass cylinder.

"Maybe we can get him out of there," suggested Luigi. This was not something that he or Mario would usually do. Their time spent with the Koopaling showed them that he was really not that bad. If they were to get him out of the glass tube, then they would be able to question him and ask him what the purpose of his invention was.

"If it's even worth it," said Mario. He thought that while it may be useful to get Iggy out of there, doing so may not be worth their time since that may not be the only trick that he was planning on playing on them.

Mario and Luigi were still standing at the side of the glass, and they were able to see that Iggy seemed to calm down in there after a moment or two. He was now looking around the inside of the chamber, and that was when he caught sight of Mario and Luigi who were looking at him. He turned towards them, and they were able to see that the Koopaling inside the glass had tears rolling down his face. He was obviously distressed, but there was really nothing left for Mario and Luigi to do for him. He was trapped on the inside of it, and they were on the outside.

Mario watched as the Koopaling walked up to him and Luigi, and wished that there was something that he could do. The large glass cylinder was almost at the roof of the tower, and there was no way that the brothers would be able to jump up there. The only thing that they could to for the Koopaling would be to stare back at him in hopes that he would be able to get out of that glass cylinder.

"Looks like he put himself in there," said Mario. At that point, Iggy was kneeling down on the other side of the glass, crying his eyes out.

"And that's why you should never trust a Koopa," added Luigi.

"At least, not one that was raised by Bowser," added Mario.

"That's true," said Luigi.

Just then, as Mario and Luigi were watching Iggy and talking about him, they felt a shock travel through the building once more. This time, however, chunks of brick fell from the ceiling; some of which narrowly missed Mario and Luigi. Some of the brick pieces made it to the inside of the glass cylinder, and almost hit Iggy. The falling bricks and the shock seemed to disturb Iggy even more, since he was now on the floor of the tower with his face buried in his arms. Moments later, the roof of the tower started to separate from itself; it seemed to be opening up with a smooth action. There were two halves close to the center of the roof that were just large enough to cover the top of the large glass cylinder. The panels up there were sliding apart from each other, and there seemed to be something up there.

"Let's just see what happens to him," said Mario. "There's nothing that we can do for him, so we might as well watch."

"I think that's the only thing that we can do at this point," said Luigi, shrugging at the same time. He didn't want to admit anything, but he was starting to like Iggy. The Koopaling proved to be someone who the brothers could spend time with and not get bored. Had he been outside of the glass, then the brothers would have been able to find out what the purpose of this invention was. This was not the case, however, since he was seemingly trapped in there and there seemed to be nothing that could be done at that point. "He must be horrified for some reason," Luigi then said. Iggy was crying on the ground with his face buried in his arms, and he was not moving. Something was going to happen to him, and Mario and Luigi would be there to see what.

"He brought this upon himself," said Mario. He, too, was feeling for the Koopaling. He did what he did; he activated the invention, and that was because he chose to do so. He ran the risk of having something go wrong with it, and so something did. Had Mario been able to do something, he would. He would give Iggy another chance to prove that he was alright, since he was doing a good job at that already. Maybe being shocked one last time would make him learn to make better decisions in the future. "Just see what happens," the plumber then said to his brother.

The roof of the tower opened up even more than before, and there really was something in behind it. Blue light rays shone through the newly-formed gap in the ceiling, indicating that there was some sort of water up there. Both of the confused brothers watched the panels in the wall widen as the roof of the tower continued separating. They were interested in seeing what was back there; what was so distressing to Iggy. As the roof widened even more, the brothers were able to see a large tank of water hanging down from the ceiling just above the opening that was just formed.

"What's in there?" Luigi asked as he saw that there was something moving about in the water of the tank. The light was dim, but there was definitely something in there. Mario saw it too, and recognized whatever was swimming around in there.

"Cheep-Cheeps," the older of the brothers said. "That was his plan all along," he then said, nodding at the trapped Koopaling. "Too bad he's the one inside of that tank."

"Too bad for him," said Luigi, shaking his head and looking down at the floor in front of him. He then thought about how Iggy must have felt that moment. He was about to be devoured by many hungry fishes, and his enemies were standing right outside of the tank. Luigi then looked over at the tank, and saw that Iggy was now kneeling down at the side of it with his right hand on the glass. The look on the Koopa's face is what got to Luigi the most – it was a look of sincerity and sadness that showed that Iggy was regretting the decision that he just made. If he were to get out of there, then there was no doubt that he would apologize, and he would think everything through in the future. What was done was done, and there really wasn't anything that Mario and Luigi could do for Iggy. Luigi then said to his brother, "If only there was a way to get him out of there."

"He put a lot of thought into this thing," replied Mario. "The glass is just too thick for anything to be done right now."

Luigi sadly nodded at his brother, and then walked over to the side of the massive glass cylinder. Iggy had his hand on the other side of it, and he was staring back at Luigi with tears in his eyes and the most desperate look ever on his face. The plumber looked up, and saw that there was a timer on the fish tank. It was counting down; counting down the last moments of Iggy's life. Luigi thought that he might as well make the most of Iggy's last moments, so he walked up to the side of the tank, and placed his hand where Iggy's was on the other side of the glass.

Luigi placing his hand on the side of the glass made Iggy cry even more. He was able to see that despite the brothers knowing that that's where they were supposed to be – inside of the tank, that they still took the time to comfort Iggy during his last moments.

Mario saw what his brother was doing, and thought that he might as well join in. He walked up to the glass tank, and stood there, next to Luigi, waiting for his brother to take his hand off so that he could do his part in giving just that little bit of extra comfort to the Koopaling.

Luigi took his hand away from the glass after a few moments, so Mario walked up to it and placed his hand where his brother's was – right on the other side of Iggy's. What bothered Mario the most was not that Iggy was about to die, and that Mario and Luigi were the last people that he would ever see, but rather the way that the Koopaling was staring at him from the other side of the thick glass. He seemed to be pleading for his life, and it looked like he would do anything to have it back. He knew that he was going to die, and there was nothing that could be done to help him at that point. Mario then shrugged at Iggy, hoping that he might be able to bring even the slightest amount of comfort to the Koopaling. Big mistake – Iggy put his head down, and began to cry his eyes out even more than before.

"I wish we could do something for him," said Mario, watching just how sad the Koopaling was. He thought that Iggy might treat him and Luigi better in the future if they were to help him out then, but there was nothing that could be done at that point.

"He's too far gone," said Luigi. He looked up at the roof of the tower, and saw that the timer was almost ready to activate itself. This meant that the fish were about to be dumped into the large glass tank; this meant that they were about to be dumped on Iggy. "Looks like he doesn't have too much time left either," said Luigi, this time lowering his voice slightly. Like his brother, he was sad that they had to leave Iggy alone like that; to be finished off by his own invention. The Koopaling had done nothing good to them in the past, but this was the day that he proved that he could be something more than what he had proved himself to be in the past.

"I guess that's all we can do now," said Mario. He, too, looked up at the timer next to the device, and saw that it was almost running out. They had less than a minute to get out of there since neither of them exactly wanted to see what would happen to Iggy. He slowly removed his hand from the glass tank, and slowly placed it on the left side of his chest. Mario decided that he might as well make Iggy's last moments as comforting as possible; he might as well make the most of his last time ever seeing Iggy. Mario then took his hand off of his chest, and saw that Iggy still had his placed on the side of the glass. Mario placed his hand back on there, and closed his eyes. He thought for a moment about the first time that he met Iggy; how determined the much smaller Koopaling was to defeat his enemy; how sad he was when he lost. The plumber then shook his head, and opened his eyes back up. He saw that Iggy had taken his hand off of the other side of the glass. Iggy was now kneeling down on the floor with his hands in front of him, and he was staring back at Mario with tears pouring out of his eyes and rolling down his snout. There was no doubt that he regretted doing what he did, but there was nothing that could be done at that point. All Mario and Luigi could do at that moment was to get out of the castle, and just continue on their journey.

"Let's go," said Mario, coldly. He took another look at the timer on the roof, and saw that it was soon going to activate.

Luigi slowly nodded at his brother, and was about to turn away from the glass when he caught Iggy's last stare – the Koopaling was looking at him with large scared eyes, as if he wanted the brothers to stay there longer. Mario and Luigi didn't really care to see what was going to happen to Iggy, since they already had a good idea about what the invention would do to the Koopaling. Luigi looked back at Iggy for what was presumably the last time that he would ever see that Koopa. Iggy was crying his eyes out inside of the tank, while Luigi really didn't show any expression. He was too shocked and relieved at the same time; too flooded with emotion to be able to respond to Iggy's cold stare. Luigi looked back at the Koopaling for one last time – this time the last, because he and Mario had to get out of there quickly. He closed his eyes and very slowly shook his head. The green plumber opened his eyes once again, and saw that Iggy was staring back at him with the saddest face that he had ever seen. Luigi then turned around, and started walking towards the other side of the room. There was a doorway over there that would presumably take them outside of the tower.

Mario caught Iggy's stare for the last time the same way that his brother did not moments ago. He stared at the Koopaling, and mouthed, "Goodbye," since there would be no way for Iggy to hear him through the thick glass tank which he was in. This seemed to make Iggy cry even more than before – he pulled himself away from the glass, and grabbed hold of his head. He sat there, letting go of his last tears; feeling his last emotions.

Mario then turned around away from the glass, and saw that his brother was already making his way towards the small door at the other side of the tower. They had to let go of Iggy at some point, and that point in time was now. He then started walking towards the door at the other side of the tower, and met up with his brother moments later. On the way there, Mario thought about how Iggy must've felt that he was about to be eaten alive by his own invention, and how there was no way on backing out of it. That showed what he had planned for Mario and Luigi – no return for them had they been the ones trapped in the glass tank.

Both plumbers ended up at the small wooden door at the other side of the room, and the eldest one pushed it open. He stepped through, along with his brother. On the other side of the door, both Mario and Luigi stood there experiencing many different emotions at the same time. Mario looked through the door behind him, and was barely able to see Iggy's hair from the distance that he and Luigi were from the tank at the middle of the room.

"Looks like that's the last time I'll ever see him," said Mario, slowly, quietly closing the door behind him. He looked at his brother, and saw that the youngest of the pair looked to be quite sad yet relieved at the same time. Mario felt the same – both of them were relieved that they weren't the ones caught up in that mess, but they were sad that a new potential friend of theirs had tried to get rid of them, but he ended up getting rid of himself instead. It was a small misjudgment of the invention – one that cost the inventor his life.

Both plumbers stood on the outside of the small door for a moment, waiting for the inevitable. This was true, since moments later, they heard something come from the room which they just made it out of alive – a large splash.

Mario and Luigi both stood there for another couple moments. Mario broke the silence seconds later by very quietly saying, "Let's keep going."

"I guess that's all that we have left to do," replied Luigi. Both brothers then walked down from the tower, continuing their journey with the memory of Iggy Koopa lurking in the back of their minds.

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><p><strong>So, that's it for Iggy's <strong>**one-shot story on my account. I may (probably) write more like these, so keep an eye out if you liked it! I hope you enjoyed it. I had fun writing this, so I hope you got at least some enjoyment out of reading it. **

**In the button press scene, I described a Cherry MX Blue mechanical keyswitch. I wonder if anyone actually caught onto that.**

**So, if you read up to this point, feel free to leave a behind a review. What did you think about this story? Anything you didn't really like? Anything you hated? Feel free to say anything about it.**

**That's it for the time being. See you guys later!**


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